Women of the Wall
chairwoman Anat Hoffman said in a letter sent to key supporters of the
organization that a special government committee headed by Cabinet Secretary
Avichai Mendelblit had agreed to most of the conditions, reported Haaretz,
which obtained a copy of the letter.

The letter reportedly said
the committee’s recommendations would be submitted to the Cabinet for approval
in the coming weeks and that the egalitarian area would be ready in “a year or
more,” Haaretz reported.

The site will have a
mobile, temporary mechitzah for the monthly prayer services since some of the
members are Orthodox and do not pray with men, according to the letter.

The committee also
reportedly agreed to allow group members to jointly oversee administration of
the egalitarian space, according to Haaretz.

…Israel is a state for all the Jewish people. As such, it should allow for the
option of secular as well as religious marriage.

Coercion and religion do not mix. Religious choice would benefit all. When choice is available, religion in general and Orthodoxy in particular will fare better because people will have the freedom to embrace faith willingly. An imposed religion is a disservice to the people
and a disservice to religion.

Regarding
Israel, he expressed concern that the 90 percent of the Jews in the U.S are not
Orthodox feel alienated by a religious establishment in Jerusalem that views
their practices as less than authentic.

“I am
hopeful that the Chief Rabbinate will be more respectful of all streams of
Judaism,” he said.

Shula made
us face the inherent tension between religion and state, between politics and
faith.

Who didn’t gape askance, or wring hands in a sigh, when hearing her
demand to separate them?

Yes, protecting the eminence of the state and the
honor of religion, it is essential to detach the devout, to sever apart the
forces that infect the country with ultra-nationalism and poison religion with
zealotry. Leaving the two glued together is a recipe for disaster.